Ventral hernia is often addressed surgically by the placement of prosthetic materials, either synthetic or from allogeneic and xenogeneic biologic sources. Despite advances in surgical approaches and device design, a number of postsurgical limitations remain, including hernia recurrence, mesh encapsulation, and reduced vascularity of the implanted volume. The in situ controlled release of angiogenic factors from a scaffold facilitating abdominal wall repair might address some of these issues associated with sub-optimal tissue reconstruction...

PURPOSE: Although new techniques and prostheses have been introduced in ventral hernia surgery, abdominal hernia repair still presents complications, such as recurrence, pain, and discomfort. Thus, this work implements a computational method aimed at evaluating biomechanical aspects of the abdominal hernia laparoscopic repair, which can support clinical research tailored to hernia surgery. METHODS: A virtual solid model of the abdominal wall is obtained from MRI scans of a healthy subject...

BACKGROUND: Open ventral hernia repair (VHR) is often performed in conjunction with other abdominal procedures. Clinical outcomes and financial implications of VHR are becoming better understood; however, financial implications of concomitant VHR during other abdominal procedures are unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the financial implications of adding VHR to open abdominal procedures. METHODS: This IRB-approved study retrospectively reviewed hospital costs to 180-day post-discharge of standalone VHRs, isolated open abdominal surgeries (bowel resection or stoma closure, removal of infected mesh, hysterectomy or oophorectomy, panniculectomy or abdominoplasty, open appendectomy or cholecystectomy), performed at our institution from October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2014...

BACKGROUND: The technique of laparoscopic ventral hernia repair has been evolving since it was first described over 20 years ago. We report a new technique where polyester mesh was back loaded through a 5-mm port site, coming into contact with the skin. This avoids the need for any 10-12-mm ports. METHODS: A prospective database of laparoscopic ventral hernia repairs was examined. A single surgeon performed 344 laparoscopic ventral hernia repairs using this technique over 60 months...

BACKGROUND: Among the various strategies to avoid exaggerated foreign body reaction in the treatment of hernias is the limitation of the amount of polypropylene or the use of absorbable material. AIM: To evaluate the healing of defects in the abdominal wall of rats, comparing microporous polypropylene, macroporous polypropylene and polypropylene/polyglecaprone at the 30º, 60º and 120º postoperative day. METHODS: Wistar rats were submitted to defect production in the ventral abdominal wall, with integrity of the parietal peritoneum...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Robot-assisted hernia repair, combined with endoscopic component separation, has reduced recurrence and complication rates and allowed immediate intervention in obese patients. We sought to study surgical outcomes in this high-risk group of patients in a community hospital. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of ventral, incisional, and umbilical hernia repairs performed at a small community hospital by a single surgeon from March 2014 through November 2016, with statistical analysis of the surgical outcomes...

BACKGROUND: The abdominal wall may be severely compromised in the vast majority of intestinal and multiorgan transplant candidates, and sometimes as a consequence of complex liver transplantation. Multiple options have been described to overcome this problem, varying from component separation to the extreme need of performing an abdominal wall transplantation. The aim of the present paper is to report the largest and longest-term results of patients that received an abdominal rectus fascia (ARF) after liver, intestinal, or multiorgan transplantation at a single transplant center...

BACKGROUND: Despite the importance of defect size, there are no standardized recommendations on how to measure ventral hernias. Our aims were to determine (1) if any significant differences existed between various methods of measuring ventral hernias and (2) the effect of these methods of measurement on selection of mesh size. METHOD: A prospective study of all patients enrolled in a randomized trial assessing laparoscopic ventral hernia repair at a single institution from 3/2015 to 7/2016 was eligible for inclusion...

BACKGROUND: The ideal technique for ventral primary and incisional hernia repair is unclear. There is a paucity of literature from South African authors. In this report, a standardised technique of intraperitoneal mesh placement and fixation is described. METHOD: A retrospective study of 152 patient records. Each patient underwent laparoscopic ventral hernia repair between 2007 and 2016 by a single surgeon. A standardised technique was used in every operation. In each case a circumferential mesh overlap of 5 centimetres from the defect was achieved...

INTRODUCTION: Incisional hernia is not an uncommon complication after abdominal operation, and laparoscopic ventral hernia repair with mesh is commonly performed nowadays. It is thought to have less complication compare to the traditional open repair, yet late complication is still observed occasionally and can be disastrous. CASE REPORT: We hereby report a case of abdominal wall necrotizing fasciitis 21 months after laparoscopic incisional hernia repair in lower midline with dual mesh, due to mesh migration and erosion into urinary bladder, resulting in fistulation between bladder and abdominal wall...

BACKGROUND: Preventive laparoscopic closure of the epiploic foramen (EF) has previously been described, but methods for EF closure during laparotomy for treatment of colic are lacking. OBJECTIVES: To describe the Foramen Epiploicum Mesh Closure (FEMC) technique through a ventral midline laparotomy in horses under general anaesthesia and its outcome. STUDY DESIGN: Terminal surgical experiment and in vivo study. METHODS: In a pilot study a standard ventral midline laparotomy was performed under general anaesthesia in 10 experimental horses and a three-dimensional expandable diabolo-shaped mesh construct was manually introduced through the EF into the omental vestibule...

BACKGROUND: Massive defects of the abdominal wall are commonly repaired with the component separation technique (CST) when insufficient tissue exists to close the defect primarily. Although the utility of CST has been documented in cases of large ventral hernias in adults, its application to congenital and acquired defects in pediatric patients has been largely unreported. This study is a retrospective case series discussing the success of CST at a large pediatric hospital. METHODS: Seven patients with massive abdominal wall defects, including ventral hernia and omphalocele, repaired with CST at a pediatric hospital were identified as candidates...

Spigelian hernia is a rare type of ventral hernias with nonspecific symptoms and signs. Therefore, its diagnosis is often difficult and requires more clinical attention. Although intermittent abdominal swelling and pain are the main symptoms, Spigelian hernias can be sometimes asymptomatic and are discovered incidentally at the operation. In some cases, these hernias can be associated with other abdominal wall hernias, therefore a detailed physical examination of the patients is necessary to avoid mistakes in diagnosis...

INTRODUCTION: Incidence of hernial appendicitis is 0.008%, most frequently within inguinal and femoral hernias. Up to 2.5% of appendectomy patients are found to have Crohn's disease. Elucidating the etiology of inflammation is essential for directing management. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 51-year-old female with achondroplastic dwarfism, multiple cesarean sections, and subsequent massive incisional hernia, presented with ruptured appendicitis within her incarcerated hernia...

INTRODUCTION: Operative management of complex ventral hernia still remains a significant challenge for surgeons. Closure of large defects in the unprepared abdomen has serious pathophysiological consequences due to chronic contraction and retraction of the lateral abdominal wall muscles. We report outcomes of 56 consecutive patients who had preoperative Botulinum toxin A (BTA) abdominal wall relaxation facilitating closure and repair. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of 56 patients who underwent ultrasound-guided BTA into the lateral abdominal oblique muscles prior to elective ventral hernia repair between November 2012 and January 2017...

BACKGROUND: Hernia meshes exhibit variability in mechanical properties, and their mechanical match to tissue has not been comprehensively studied. We used an innovative imaging model of in vivo strain tracking and ex vivo mechanical analysis to assess effects of mesh properties on repaired abdominal walls in a porcine model. We hypothesized that meshes with dissimilar mechanical properties compared to native tissue would alter abdominal wall mechanics more than better-matched meshes. METHODS: Seven mini-pigs underwent ventral hernia creation and subsequent open repair with one of two heavyweight polypropylene meshes...